System and method for contention based tones in a multipoint-to-point orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system

A method for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing multipoint-to-point communications system, the method comprising:

• establishing communication between a first remote unit of a plurality of remote units and a host unit, the plurality of remote units communicatively coupled to the host unit in a multipoint-to-point configuration;
• transmitting up to a plurality of tones from the first remote unit, the up to a plurality of tones modulated with upstream information using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing;
• determining when bandwidth is needed for an upstream transmission to the host unit from the first remote unit;
• transmitting a request for bandwidth to the host unit from the first remote unit on at least a first tone of the plurality of tones, the request for bandwidth from the first remote unit configured to combine with a signal from at least one other remote unit on a different tone to form a coherent waveform of adjacent spectrally overlapping carriers ;
• and
• determining when a collision has occurred on the at least first tone between the request for bandwidth transmitted by the first remote unit and a signal from at least one other remote unit.

A method for a remote unit to request bandwidth in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing () multi-point to point system, the method comprising:

• transmitting a signal from a remote unit having a request for bandwidth to a host unit on at least a first tone, the signal from the remote unit configured to combine with a signal from at least one other remote unit on a different tone to form a coherent waveform of adjacent spectrally overlapping carriers;
• determining when a collision has occurred on the at least first tone between the signal transmitted by the remote unit and a signal from at least one other remote unit;
• and
• when a collision occurs, re-transmitting the request for bandwidth on the at least first tone.